conflict

Forms

conflict n (plural conflicte)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin conflictus (“collision, clash”), also borrowed from French conflit: DEX, MDA2, MDN and DILF name both sources.^[2][3][4][5] DELR takes it from Latin, with its senses after French, and Tiktin likewise names New Latin and French.^[6][7] DA and DLRM call it a neologism from French, with the Latin word behind it.^[8][9] Wiktionary gives Latin alone.^[1]

The Latin word is the action noun of cōnflīgō (“to strike together, clash”).^[10][1] The verb is formed with con- on flīgō (“to strike”).^[6][8] The French word was borrowed from the Latin word around 1200.^[11] Scriban compares aflicțiune, of the same Latin root.^[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from 1846, and DELR dates it from Stamati's dictionary of 1851, with the sense “disagreement, clash of interests”.^[7][6] DA's oldest quotation, from Ion Ghica, already has the figurative sense, a clash between a secretary and an ambassador.^[8][3]

Semantic evolution

DA gives three senses: a clash between persons, groups or powers; figuratively, a clash between opposed feelings or interests; and in law a dispute between authorities over their powers, the conflict de competență of Maiorescu's speeches and of the legal writers.^[8] The 1931 CADE has the same three, with the first labelled as military.^[13] After the Second World War the dictionaries added “war” for an armed conflict and the literary sense, the clash of interests and passions between the characters that drives the plot of a play or story.^[14][2] The adjective conflictual followed in 1931–1932, from French conflictuel.^[6]

Timeline

• 1846 – the first record cited by Tiktin.^[7]
• 1851 – in Stamati's dictionary.^[6]
• 1870 – Costinescu glosses it as a collision and as a dispute between authorities.^[15]
• 1931 – CADE gives the military, figurative and legal senses.^[13]
• 1931–1932 – the adjective conflictual in Perpessicius.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A disagreement, a clash of interests; antagonism, a quarrel or heated argument.^[2][3] A intra în conflict (cu cineva): to fall out with someone.^[2] Conflict de frontieră: a clash between the border troops of two states.^[2][3]
2. An armed conflict, a war.^[2][4]
3. (literature) The clash of ideas, interests or feelings between the characters that drives the action of a narrative or dramatic work.^[2][3]
4. (law) A dispute between two courts or authorities over which of them is competent.^[8][13]

Word family

• conflictual

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 220
3. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 485
4. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. conflict
5. ^ Costăchescu, Adriana; Dincă, Daniela; Dragoste, Ramona; Popescu, Mihaela; Scurtu, Gabriela (2009–2010), Dicționar de împrumuturi lexicale din limba franceză (DILF), 2 vols., Craiova: Universitaria, p. s.v. conflict
6. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. conflict
7. ^ a b c Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. conflict
8. ^ a b c d e Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. conflict
9. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne
10. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
11. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert, p. s.v. conflit
12. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 332
13. ^ a b c Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. conflict
14. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 521
15. ^ Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 1, 231